Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright believes Manchester United’s squad are ‘not believing, or at least failing to understand’ the message Jose Mourinho is trying to get across.

The Red Devils have struggled for consistency throughout the 2016-17 campaign, with the troubles of their recent past coming back to haunt them once again.

Mourinho’s appointment was intended to bring about a reversal in fortune, even with an acknowledgement that it would take time for the Portuguese to shape a squad in his own image.

Big money was thrown at the project over the summer, with Mourinho receiving a similar level of backing to that afforded his predecessor Louis van Gaal.

The general consensus was that United had bought well, with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba proven performers on a global stage.

There are, however, still areas in need of reinforcement, while the Premier League has once again shown itself to be a tough division to master for even the most experienced of heads.

United have been unable to break into full stride as a result, with the latest international break diverting attention away from a domestic situation which has the Red Devils sat sixth in the Premier League table – eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Wright feels there are still too many crossed wires at Old Trafford, with the ex-England international pointing to events at Anfield and Stamford Bridge as an example of how belief can be built once a winning formula is found and harmony is restored.

He wrote in his column for The Sun: “Look at Manchester United. Sure, they won at Swansea at the weekend but the inconsistent results suggest the squad is not believing, or at least failing to understand, what Jose Mourinho is trying to get them to do.”

Wright added: “You can see it [belief] in current performances by Chelsea and Liverpool and it’s giving them the edge over their rivals.

“Under Jurgen Klopp this season, Liverpool are playing with such confidence that there is the belief they will always score more than the opposition.”